


g00dby3-fri3nd

by Tears_In_Rain



Category: Mr. Robot - Fandom
Genre: Angst and Romance, Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/F, F/M, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Please Tell Me You're Seeing This Too, Slow Burn, Sorry Not Sorry, Spoilers (duh), The Machine Works, Why Did I Write This?, dontdeleteme, hellofriend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-01-26 15:37:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21376483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tears_In_Rain/pseuds/Tears_In_Rain
Summary: Elliot and Mr. Robot have seen the top 1% of the top 1% and they're determined to take her down. The problem is that Elliot is shutting down, Mr. Robot doesn't know how to help him, Darlene is angry, Dom is losing her mind, and Tyrell is a Swedish Psycho.
Relationships: Darlene Alderson & Elliot Alderson, Darlene Alderson/Dominique DiPierro, Elliot Alderson & Mr. Robot, Elliot Alderson/Angela Moss, Elliot Alderson/Tyrell Wellick, Irving & Leon (Mr. Robot), Mr. Robot & Tyrell Wellick, Olivia Cortez/Elliot Alderson
Kudos: 7





	g00dby3-fri3nd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliot and Darlene are marked for disposal; a friend disappears; Mr. Robot tries to help.

** ELLIOT **

Back when we were kids, I was always trying to find ways to impress Angela. When I got a little more into things, I started picking locks. You know about this already- the hacker's first lesson. 

Anyway, it turned out to be very beneficial for a boy trying his hardest to show off to the girl he liked. When I finally got really good at it, I decided to use it to impress her. It took a lot of effort but after a week of convincing, Angela agreed to sneak out of her house at night for a special walk with me. I didn't even tell her where we were going. I wanted everything to be a surprise. 

I remember she was very nervous on our way there and I had to keep reminding her to trust me. She was a real wreck. Halfway there, Angela tried to go back home before her parents noticed her missing. I then had to confess we were going to the zoo to keep her going. 

After walking for what felt like ages, we got to the zoo and squeezed through the fence of the main entry. I was ecstatic- the time to show off my lock picking skills had finally arrived.

I asked her where she wanted to go and she chose the reptile house. That's one of the things I've always liked about Angela. Even though she doesn't look like the type, she's not squeamish. 

We wandered over to the reptile house and I began to pick the lock on the door. It took me less than thirty seconds to get us inside. When the door opened, Angela got this big smile on her face and looked at me like I was some sort of superhero. Those were simpler times. 

We got to look at a bunch of snakes that night. What made everything so cool was the fact that no one else was there . . . no annoying kids ordering their poor nannies around, no couples posing for pictures next to the animals, and no overwhelming crowds creating an environment of chaos. It was just us. Angela and me. Me and Angela. 

What I wouldn't give to be able to relive that night.

After the first time, Angela and I made it a habit to come back at least once a week. Eventually, I decided to tell Darlene and let her tag along with us.

We didn't just stick to the reptile house. We roamed around all over the zoo, memorizing every nook and cranny. My favorite place to go was the lion's den. There was this albino there and we decided to come up with a name for him: Doc Brown. I was really sad when they transferred him to another zoo. 

I know what you're thinking. 

Why am I telling you this?

I don't know. Maybe it's because I need to think about something good after what just happened at the barn or maybe it's because-

* * *

Angela's missing.

* * *

Darlene is the first to notice. She calls me four hours after being released by Dark Army. Her voice . . . it's panicked.

"Elliot," she says, "Come to Angela's apartment. NOW."

I ask her why.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Elliot! Just listen to me!" She yells. I hang up the phone and, soon enough, I end up in Angela's apartment. 

And it's a mess, a crazy mess. There's pictures of her mother plastered all over the place, the walls have been hastily painted black, and an endless amount of unwashed dishes are scattered from the kitchen to living room. Angela always took pride in her neatness. This isn't her, at least, not her in a stable mind. 

Darlene and I spend the next couple of hours viewing the street footage of Angela's block. It leads us down a rabbit hole of her insanity. She walks in twists and turns, forwards and backwards, in loops and in squares. She's afraid of being followed by the wrong people. The whole time, Angela's pushing a cart full of a bunch of random crap. She looks absolutely insane. And it makes me wonder why I didn't try to talk some more sense into her when she came to visit me. Why I let Leon take me away from her. 

After a while, a van shows up and Angela, without hesitation, steps inside. Darlene starts freaking out and I have to switch with Mr. Robot to calm her down. Ironic, isn't it? A switch. An easy 'on' and 'off' system, unlike the brute force attacks from before. He senses it, too. And I sense his appreciation for it. I tell him to send her away. 

"You should go," Mr. Robot tells her. "I'll take the lead on this." He- _we_ step in front of the monitor, blocking her view of the footage.

Darlene doesn't like that. She shakes her head and tries to push us away. It doesn't work, so she shoves us again. Hard.

"Move," she growls.

"Darlene-"

"-No! You don't get to send me away, Elliot. Not when it comes to Angela!" She lets out a sob and looks down at the ground, no doubt holding in her tears- her panic. I want to relent but this isn't the time to go soft. 

After a while of silence, Darlene whispers, "We have to find her." Her fists start to shake and her breathing becomes uneven.

"She's gonna have a panic attack if you don't get her out of here," I tell him. Mr. Robot turns to look at me. He's frowning.

He asks, "What's the harm in letting her help us?"

I shake my head. "We both know there's a good chance Angela might be . . . gone. If we follow this to the end and find her body, it'll break Darlene. She's already breaking thinking about it."

Mr. Robot doesn't say anything but I can feel him understanding. We place our hands on her shoulders. Darlene looks up at us.

"We dragged her into this mess," she whimpers. I start thinking about all the times she helped me through my episodes as a kid. All the times she put up with my shitty behavior. It's time to let her lean on me now, and I figure out what to say to her. Mr. Robot gives me the reigns.

"Init-1," I say. "Remember? Trust me, Darlene. I'll find Angela."

It works. Despite the clear want to protest, she respects our code. Init-1. A clear 'please do what I'm asking you to do.' Darlene gives me a small nod, puts on her heart-shaped glasses, and leaves without a word.

"Good job, kiddo," Mr. Robot says.

_Buzz. Buzz. Buzz._

I pull out my phone. 

**IMAGE SENT BY PRIVATE NUMBER.**

I already know what it is before I open it. I make a quick swipe and my stomach drops. There it is. A reminder. A way of forcing me to play the game her way, but I know Whiterose plans on killing Darlene and I the minute her project ships. Now all that matters is beating her before she beats us. 

"Elliot-" Mr. Robot starts. But my mind is already numb, pushing back the reminder to the dark part of my mind. The one I can't scratch. And I can't seem to remember it anymore. What was the reminder anyway? 

* * *

01000001 01101110 01100111 01100101 01101100 01100001 00100111 01110011 00100000 01010000 01101001 01100011 01110100 01110101 01110010 01100101

* * *

It doesn't matter. All that matters now is taking her down. It's a zero-sum-game. The final showdown.


End file.
